During the Democratic primaries, Gloria Steinem, pioneering feminist and Hillary Clinton supporter, argued that the contest had revealed that gender was “probably the most restricting force in American life”. She illustrated her point by imagining a female version of Barack Obama and contending that no woman with such a slender biography would be considered seriously for the presidency.

It is now clear that Ms Steinem was right – although proof comes not from the treatment of the Democratic lioness Mrs Clinton but from the responses, particularly on the left, to the Republican newcomer Sarah Palin.

Not only is Sarah Palin distinguished by the fact that she is the only candidate on either ticket who hasn’t authored at least one book, traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan, interviewed Gen. Patreus, etc., etc., she’s also the only candidate who has never ran for President, and is therefore the only candidate whose views on foreign policy and a plethora of other complex issues that she is a heartbeat away from being in charge of are a complete unknown to the American people. Seriously, get out of here with this comparison right now because it is a joke.